The Filters

Jesse and Jude stood facing the Cathedral,it was a large roman inspired building, painted with saintly White but that would not deter them.Bode had gone too far this time,far enough to drive them to vengeance and they weren't about to call it quits for a place of prayer.So they stood watching the building,glancing at their watches,staring at the sky,in that order for 25 minutes and then finally,the large wooden doors flung open and groups of families, friends and acquaintances began to stroll out.The boys peered at the departing congregation,eager to spot a dark skinned boy with a mole on the left side of his chin,they paid no mind to the people brushing past them and eyeing them suspiciously for they were men of purpose and they are willed to succeed. After what seemed like hours Jude spotted Bode and tapped Jesse who immediately spotted him as well as if that single touch gave him the coordinates,his eyes immediately crinkled and his mouth pouted aggressively. They danced through the crowd never once letting their eyes off of Bode,finally they were face to face. Bode saw two faces leering at him and at first did not recognise them,he had been thinking about the sermon and hadn't even bothered to greet or excuse the invasion,he simply moved between them like the Israelites between the red sea,but this sea would not part so easily.

"Where do you think you're going?" asked Jude grabbing his arms roughly and pulling him back.

"Good afternoon friends, how are you doing today?." Bode inquired casually, greeting their hard faces with a genial smile.

"Please don't even start with your politicking, you know why we are here, let's not act like were a bunch of kids meaning to go get some ice cream together, your either going to tell us what we want to hear, or you're going to die, or we're going to die.Option a is preferable, Jesse will greatly enjoy option b, and option c is, well...." He spread his arms apart giving Bode a good view of his 150 pounds worth of toned muscle and bones, then concluded "impossible."

Bode wasn't intrepid, but he was far from cowardly, however he was for sure quite cunning. "Ahh you make fine suggestions my friends, but we are forgetting option d, most standards tests and exams come with an option d."

 Jude folded his hands, as if to say "I'll humour you" whilst Jesse felt by the skin clothing his waist for the cool steel of his gun. He was a man of actions.

Bode went on. "How about we all walk away forget this never happened,you keep the three million i already gave you, and not bother me anymore, because frankly, you have more to lose if you keep accosting me like this."

In the inner most office of a Club somewhere in Ikeja, Stanley Akinyola was sipping black coffee and attempting to read the days newspaper, he had a nascent headache and knew it would only get worse with time, but he needed to read the paper, it was his daily routine. He sat down at his desk everyday around 12 o clock and read the news of the day past, hoping the headlines had nothing scandalous to say about any of his clients, and if they did, hoping it wasn't of the monetary persuasion. So by effect he read the news solely for bad news, although according to his wife all news was bad in this country, it was either politicians were stealing, masses were dying or the new generation of entertainers were being notorious. But to Stanley only one of those things really mattered. The obituary was the only place he hoped to see his clients in the news, for their deaths meant a termination of contract, one less responsibility to shoulder. He'd been in the business for years, in the beginning it was quite simple, but then against his wife's wishes he'd brought in his son, because the boy was clever and had a way with people, plus all empires need an heir.So he taught him the family trade, and the boy became something of a zealot, expanding the groups clientele to more than your ambitious but careful Politician, they now had clients from all works of life, some of whom were downright volatile, kind of like the one his son was dealing with at that very moment.Stanley Akinyola took a large gulp of the hot coffee, it stung but to him that was half the point , then he flipped to the next page of the paper praying to God that things were going smoothly for his only son. Jesse could already see himself putting off the safety and putting a bullet through Bodes head, but his imagination was running faster than his legs, Jude needed to give the order first. Jude his superior was always more pen than sword, they'd been in these situations a million times before, Jude would talk, attempt to reason with the defaulter, give them some tough love, and then when they'd refuse, he'd ask Jesse to put them down like a rabid dog. The only variable here was that Bode had protection, but that could also work against him, because it meant that they had a point to prove, The Filters feared no man.

"Listen Bode, I like you, and that's why I've been so patient with you, when you came to us for help, we didn't turn you down, even without the street credit we let you in, because hey, money is all the credit a man needs, and you had 15 million worth of it, so we thought cool, you give us 3mill up front we launder 12mill for you, you give us our final 2mill and were done, every bodies happy, but you just had to get greedy,now..."

Jude walked forward, invading Bodes personal space like a lover leaning in for a kiss, but instead of pledges of love, Jude whispered threats of death.

"...I'm a christian, but I'm also a human being, and though I'd hate to frighten the flock of do gooders that worship here, I'd hate to see my two mill go even more, so this is your last chance, give us the money, or I will leave your bloody corpse laying on this floor and trust me, I'll leave so many bullets laying in your flesh it would take the original 12 disciples to resurrect you, now what do you say?"

 Jude was hoping he'd be compelled to give them their money, Jesse was hoping he'd be forced to kill him.Bode stood, contemplating what they'd said, and as he did so, a grin began to steal into his lips.He cleared his throat and said with conviction.

"Do it."